Careers in Border Security Force (BSF)

The border guarding force of India, most commonly known as The Border
Security Force alias BSF is a paramilitary force, established on 1st December
1965. Responsible for guarding India's land border during peace time and
preventing transnational crime, BSF is a Union Government Agency under
the administrative control of Ministry of Home Affairs. It is one among
the law enforcement agencies of India and currently stands as the world's
largest border guarding force with a strength of 240,000 personnel in
186 battalions, including women personnel. 'Duty Unto Death' is the motto
of BSF.

The BSF has three operational arms namely General Branch, Technical Branch
and Medical Branch. The General Duty Branch covers all the general duties
of BSF. The vigilance charge is also dependent upon them. Technical Branch
deals with all the technical work required from time to time for the smooth
functioning of the force. This branch looks after the maintenance and
repair of equipments for telecommunication and construction purposes.
Medical Branch provides all the facilities regarding medical purposes
and they undertake all the responsibility for the fitness and well-being
of personnel.

The troops of BSF are supported by the Technical arms wing which is in
charge of the construction and maintenance of buildings required by the
forces, as well as the maintenance of arms and other combat equipment.
Personnel of Technical arms are engineers qualified in civil or electronic
/ electrical engineering. The Signals arm of the BSF is a very important
constituent of this force. It is the duty of the signals officer to keep
the line of communication working and to pass on information to senior
officials at all times and seek the necessary advice on matters relating
to internal security.

The major tasks of BSF are :

Peace time:Promote a sense of security among the people living in the border
areas.
Prevent trans border crimes, unauthorized entry into or exit from the
territory of India.
Prevent smuggling and any other illegal activity.

In addition to their duties, BSF has been deployed for counter insurgency
and internal security duties

War Time:
Holding ground in less threatened sectors.
Protection of vital installations.
Assistance in control of refugees.
Anti-infiltration duties in specified areas.

Men of BSF are trained in patrolling the borders be it on camel back,
horse back, on foot, on speed boats or on helicopters. The work is daunting
and requires deep commitment. The BSF has assumed a strategic role in
vital activities concerning security and defence. It is a prestigious
and a dignified profession and being qualified for BSF, is a big dream
for most aspiring Indian candidates.

BSF Rank Structure

The Border Security Force (BSF) has officers of different grades and
the rank structure of BSF is as follows :